


Sticky Fingers, Entwined Hearts

by yeosinnerz



Series: An Ode To You, Tear My Heart to Pieces and Rebuild Me Like Nothing Happened [2]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Baby Choi Soobin, Baby Kim Mingyu, Baby Lee Chan | Dino, Baby Yoon Sanha, Boys Kissing, Childhood, Fluff, Getting Together, Holding Hands, M/M, Making Friends, New boy in the neighbourhood, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, They're such best friends it hurts !!!, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, further proving Jeonghan is LITERALLY joshua's number one fan, getting closer, jeonghan has two moms, slow burn???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22779820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeosinnerz/pseuds/yeosinnerz
Summary: Jeonghan's new to the neighbourhood and Joshua becomes his first friend.They fall in love with eachother over the span of three years.
Relationships: Hong Jisoo | Joshua/Yoon Jeonghan
Series: An Ode To You, Tear My Heart to Pieces and Rebuild Me Like Nothing Happened [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636924
Comments: 7
Kudos: 73





	Sticky Fingers, Entwined Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't intend for this to hit over 1500 words, but here I am, with over 3000. 
> 
> Enjoy :)
> 
> edit: minor changes made to match storyline up to one of the prequel scene fics

There's a playground in the middle of a housing district, a playground that is old and in need of replacing, but with it, childhood and fond memories that stick with kids forever. 

They live in the boychucks. A housing district for low-income families, home to many, including the Yoon family, and the Hong family. 

Joshua lives with his single mother. Oftentimes at home alone, Joshua would spend most of his days at the playground growing up, playing in the grass in his backyard, and playing with the other kids in the block. His neighbour, an older man who shared the duplex with Joshua and his mother, would often babysit Joshua when he was young. Joshua has only fond memories with his neighbour, Mr. Nixon and his daughter, Juliet. 

He knew practically everyone in the block, and knew who came and went over the years. Most of the block was a constant, aside from a few families coming and going. There weren't many Koreans he had met over the time he lived there, aside from the Choi and the Boo families, who moved into the block within two years of each other, when Joshua was still young. He'd make quick friends with both of their youngest sons quickly, helping to teach them English and to get them acquainted with living in a new place. The three of them would lay out on the lawn, staring at the sky and talking amongst themselves.

When Joshua Hong is fifteen, he meets Yoon Jeonghan. 

Joshua's tinkering with something electronic at his desk, his hands sticky with glue and a weird tape residue. The window outside is open, a warm breeze from outside drifting in his face. From where he is, he has a near perfect view of the entire block, exempt the two houses to the right of his window. 

Dropping his tools on the table, Joshua gives up on trying to fix the electronic. His eyes gaze out to the lawn, searching for anything abnormal. 

On the playground, sitting on top of the roof that shades over part of the playground, is a tall, lanky figure he doesn't recognise. It peaks Joshua's interest, so he flips his rope ladder out the window and climbs over his desk to climb to the ground. 

A few ringlets from the bottom, Joshua just jumps off, his bare feet hitting the deck with a loud enough thump that has Juliet peeking her head out of her back door with a confused expression on her face. Joshua flashes her an 'ok' hand, before walking over to the playground. 

Joshua realises that forgetting to wear shoes was a mistake, because the wood chips surrounding the play structure dig into his feet uncomfortably, and the floor on the playground is hot enough that it has him cringing with every step. The boy still hasn't acknowledged his presence. Joshua takes this as a sign to climb up onto the roof. His bare feet basically scream against the metal frame as he pulls himself up. 

Joshua crawls up behind the boy, tapping at his shoulder. The boy jumps, whipping his head around to look at Joshua. Joshua smiles. The boy takes out his earphones. 

"Hello!" Joshua greets, out stretching a sticky hand to the boy. "My name is Joshua. I don't think we've met. Are you new here?" He asks. 

"Hi." The boy says, shaking Joshua's hand. When he pulls his hand away, their skin peels from each other because of the stickiness of Joshua's hand. "My name is Jeonghan." The boy introduces himself, his voice uncertain. Joshua presumes he's not confident in his English. "I just moved here." Jeonghan says. 

"Nice to meet you Jeonghan!" Joshua smiles.  _ "Are you from Korea?"  _ Joshua asks, in Korean to see if Jeonghan would be more responsive to it. 

_ "I am from Korea. How did you know?" _ Jeonghan asks, tilting his head in confusion.

_ "Your name is Jeonghan. That doesn't exactly sound like an American name. It's sort of similar to someone I know. She's Korean, too."  _ Joshua says, thinking of Jeongyeon, from his homeroom class at school.

_ "Oh. By the way, your Korean is very good."  _ Jeonghan says, complimenting Joshua afterwards.

_ "It's because I'm Korean, silly." _ Joshua says, smiling.

_ "There are Koreans outside of Korea?" _ Jeonghan asks, and Joshua snorts so loud and almost falls off the playground. 

_ "Yes. I just happened to have been born here, instead of in Korea."  _ Joshua explains.  _ "Did you just move here?" _

_ "Yes. We moved here today. My mom is at home, unpacking. I didn't like the atmosphere and the crying, so I came here." _ Jeonghan says.

_ "Crying? Do you have siblings?"  _ Joshua asks. 

_ "Yes. I have three younger siblings. One sister and two brothers." _

_ "Oh, cool! I have no siblings. Tell me about yours."  _ Joshua asks, looking at Jeonghan. 

_ "Well, I have a younger sister named Jaehwa, she's ten years old. And then I have two little brothers. They're twins. Their names are Sanha and Soobin. Mom can't tell them apart, so she made Mommy put coloured bracelets on their ankles when they were born. We were all sperm donor babies."  _

_ "That's really cool. How old are your brothers?"  _ Joshua asks.

_ "They're newborn. My mommy had them a few days before we moved in, just after we came here."  _ Jeonghan says.  _ "She is very scary now that she had them. Sometimes I'll hear my mom scream because my mommy sprayed her with milk." _

Joshua laughs.

They talk about what they like the most about living in the country they live in, what they like most about Korea, and so on. They're so invested in their conversation with each other they hardly register the sun beginning to set and the air starting to chill. 

That is, until Joshua is called home. 

"Joshua!" Josh's mom calls from the back door of their house. "Supper is ready!" 

Joshua frowns, looking at Jeonghan. "Dang. Supper is ready. I have to go." Jeonghan frowns back, looking at him with pleading eyes. "Do you want to exchange cell phone numbers? I can give you mine right now, my phone is in my bedroom still so you can't put yours in mine. If you just text me from your phone I don't think it'd be an issue." 

Jeonghan pulls out his cellphone from his pocket, unlocking it and opening his contacts for Joshua to put his number in. 

Joshua hands Jeonghan his phone back. "See you around, Jeonghan. I'll text you later!" Joshua smiles, jumping off the roof onto the bridge, which rattles under his weight. He scampers off into the darkness, returning to his home. 

Eventually, Jeonghan goes home too. 

* * *

_"Jeonghan-ah, where_ _were you all day?"_ Jeonghan's mommy asks when he comes into the house through the back door. She's fixing dinner, in place of his Mom, who is probably sleeping upstairs. 

_ "I was at the playground in the middle of the neighbourhood. I made a friend today. He speaks Korean, but he's from here."  _ Jeonghan says, taking a seat at the kitchen table.  _ "We talked for hours, Mommy. He gave me his cellphone number." _

_ "That's good, Hannie. I like to hear that you're making friends already."  _ Jeonghan's mommy says, turning back to the food. 

Upstairs, Jeonghan can hear some thudding, presumably just his younger sister jumping around to a song on her music player, while she unpacks. Jaehwa managed to get her own room, while Jeonghan was given the basement bedroom and any of the extra basement space that was there. The basement bathroom was nice, too, which was a bonus. 

_ "Jeonghan, can you go tell your sister and your Mom that supper is ready? I want us to have a chance to eat with each other before I have to go feed your brothers. Please?"  _ Jeonghan's mommy asks, putting everything into their necessary dishes and setting them at the table. Jeonghan leaves his phone at his seat. 

The stairs are closed in, and fairly short, in retrospect, not steep at all, which Jeonghan thanks the lord for because he hates how his thighs burn after climbing uncomfortably steep stairs. 

Jeonghan knocks on Jaehwa's door first. It takes a few moments for her to answer, but she opens the door wide for Jeonghan to see her room, open boxes everywhere and clothes strewn on her bunk bed. 

_ "Yes, big brother?"  _ Jaehwa asks as she leans against the doorframe. 

_ "Mommy says it's time for dinner."  _ Jeonghan says.  _ "She wants us to all eat a meal together since it's our first day in the house, and before she comes up to feed Sanha and Soobin." _

_ "Okay! Thanks for telling me, Hannie!"  _ Jaehwa smiles at her brother, before disappearing downstairs.

Jeonghan goes to wake up his mom, and before he knows it, the four of them are sitting at the dinner table. 

_ "Sunyoung,"  _ Jeonghan's mommy says, starting the conversation.

_ "Yes, Jiyoung?" . _

_ "Hannie made a friend today!"  _

_ "You did, Jeonghan?"  _ Jeonghan's mom asks, looking at her son. 

_ "I did. His name is Joshua. He lives on the other side of the lawn."  _ Jeonghan says.

_ "Is he white?"  _ His mom asks, and Jeonghan stares at her in shock for a few seconds.

_ "N-no, no. He is Korean."  _

_ "I guess he's okay, then. I'll have to meet his parents, then. Does he seem like a strong boy? What has his dad taught him?" _

_ "Mom, he doesn't have a dad."  _ Jeonghan says, shoving food into his mouth.  _ "Can we talk about this later?" _

_ "Very well, then. I'll need answers next time we talk."  _

* * *

  
  


It's close to eleven by the time Jeonghan has his bed made and he's laying in it. His room is very much barren of any decoration, the pale yellow walls a blank slate for anything Jeonghan wants to put up on them. 

He's talking to some of his friends back home, wishing them a good day and telling them that he misses them. 

Jeonghan almost forgets about Joshua. 

Opening another messaging app, Jeonghan presses on Joshua's contact and presses the option to text him. 

**[10:53] Jeonghan Yoon:** **_Hey this is Jeonghan from the park today. Just double checking that this Joshua._ **

Joshua replies immediately. 

**[10:53] Joshua Hong: Yes! This is Joshua. Please pardon my writing, I'm not the best at writing in Korean. I hope you can understand English enough to understand what I'm saying lol**

**[10:54] Jeonghan Yoon: Would you like to type in English ? If it is easy for you this way, I don't mind**

**[10:55] Joshua Hong:** **_No, no, it's okay!_ ** **You might have to teach me some writings for Korean haha,** **_I only learned from my mom, and she mainly talks to me in English_ ** **lolololol**

**[10:55] Jeonghan Yoon: I need to work on my English typing. I am not the best**

**[10:56] Joshua Hong: With time comes great success. You'll be a pro in no time!**

**[10:57] Jeonghan Yoon: Thank you for the encouraging words**

**[10:58] Joshua Hong: No problem! I think I'm going to hit the hay. Don't stay up too late, Jeonghan!**

**[10:58] Jeonghan Yoon: Hit the hay? What does that mean**

**[10:59] Joshua Hong: It's a way to say you're going to sleep.**

**[11:00] Jeonghan Yoon: Oh ok, sleep well Joshua**

**[11:01] Joshua Hong: You too Jeonghan**

Jeonghan decides to sleep too. He plugs his cellphone in on the nightstand, and turns off his lamp. 

That night, he dreams of his life with a new boy in it. By his side. 

Joshua.

* * *

The next day, Jeonghan is introduced to some of Joshua's friends, Seungcheol, Seungkwan, and Jun. 

They're all nice kids, a little loud, but still manageable. Seungkwan is only twelve, but he's got a weird sense of maturity for his age. His sisters say it's from being around them. 

"Jeonghan," Jun says when they're sitting on his deck, popsicles in hand. "Why did you move here?" 

Jeonghan chokes up. "Uh.."

_ "Hey, Jeonghan, you don't have to tell him."  _ Joshua says, looking to Jeonghan, who was looking at him for confirmation. 

"My family moved here for personal reasons." Jeonghan lies, telling enough truth to make it believable. 

"Okay." Jun accepts the answer and leaves it at that. 

Nobody says anything until they're done their popsicles and they're sitting in a comfortable silence with one another, until Seungkwan checks his watch, whispering something to himself, before he excuses himself and darts across the lawn back to his house. 

Joshua decides a few moments later that it's time for him to go, but he takes Jeonghan with him. 

"See you later, Jun! Bye, Seungcheol!" Joshua calls, as he's walking away with Jeonghan, their arms linked. 

* * *

"Jeonghan, this is my mom. Mom, this is Jeonghan." Joshua introduces his mother to Jeonghan, who bows and says a quick hello, before Joshua pulls him upstairs. 

The layout of the house is similar to Jeonghan's own, with very few differences that are noticeable. 

_ "Your house looks similar to mine." _ Jeonghan comments.

Joshua hums in response. 

They walk down the hallway, opening a door at the end of the hallway. "Now, here's my bedroom!" 

It's bright and sunny in Joshua's room, just enough space to house his bed, desk, and his vanity. His room is very tidy, everything organised where they should be. 

"I like your room." Jeonghan says. 

"Thank you!" Joshua smiles in response. 

* * *

In July, less than a month since Jeonghan moved into the neighbourhood, Joshua presents Jeonghan with good news.

**[3:17] Joshua Hong: My mom's pregnant :)) I'm going to have a little brother or sister by April next year :)**

**[3:18] Jeonghan Yoon: Congratulations! I will teach you how to take care of younger siblings when your sibling arrives**

**[3:19] Joshua Hong: Thank you Jeonghan <3**

**[3:19] Jeonghan Yoon: No problem Josh**

Joshua has something to look forward to for once.

* * *

Joshua spends the day with Jeonghan on his sixteenth birthday. He even stays up to send him a text about it. 

**[12:00]** **Joshua Hong: Happy Birthday Hannie <3 Have a good day**

Jeonghan reads the text about it as soon as it comes in. He squirms round in his bed in excitement for a few moments.

**[12:03] Jeonghan Yoon: Thank you**

**[12:05] Joshua Hong: Can you meet me at the park in 15 minutes? I know it's late, but I want to show you something, and we can share a snack together**

**[12:05] Jeonghan Yoon: I will meet you there**

**[12:06] Joshua Hong: Okay!**

Jeonghan climbs out of his bed, slipping a pair of his sweatpants on from, sliding his slippers on, and grabbing a sweatshirt off the corner post of his bed frame, dropping it over his head and pulling it on. The feeling of the fabric of his sweatshirt on his bare skin is odd, but he pays it not much mind as he drops his phone into his pocket, leaving his bedroom. 

Jeonghan's house is uncomfortably quiet, except for the whir of the television box in the living room. Without much thought, Jeonghan unlocks the deadbolt of the back door, and the handle, grabbing his house keys off the rack, and locking the door behind him as he steps out. 

The cold air is refreshing. 

Jeonghan spots Joshua from the dim light of his cell phone screen lighting up his pale skin. He's on top of the play structure, where the two first met each other. 

"Joshua!" Jeonghan calls, when he's standing on the play structure. 

"Happy birthday, Jeonghan!" Joshua says, stretching out his hands to help Jeonghan up the usual way they climb up. "I brought my telescope. I want to show you some planets, and then I can point out some constellations for you after. I brought applesauce, too. I tried to snag some kimchi, but my mom would yell at me for that if I did. I brought the next best thing, which was applesauce. I didn't bring spoons, but I can show you how to make it with the tinfoil lid on the cup." 

Jeonghan smiles. 

For two hours, they sit under the stars, looking at each other, and talking. Their hands are sticky, because they both ripped the lids incorrectly on their applesauce, so they ate from their fingers. 

Their sticky hands are held tightly within each other's grasp.

"To many more moons with you, Jeonghan." He whispers, leaning his head on Jeonghan's shoulder. 

* * *

  
  


It's too cold for them to meet up at the park on Joshua's birthday, so they have to come up with a solution to the issue. 

**[12:05] Jeonghan Yoon: Happy Birthday Joshua!**

**[12:05] Joshua Hong: Thank you Hannie**

**[12:06] Joshua Hong: Come over?**

**[12:07] Jeonghan Yoon: You cannot sneak me in your house lol**

**[12:07] Joshua Hong: I have something called a window and a rope ladder**

**[12:08] Jeonghan Yoon: I'm on my way**

Joshua's got his head stuck out the window as Jeonghan's running across the lawn. There's snow in his sneakers, and Jeonghan is shivering by the time he gets to Joshua's deck. 

"Let down the stupid rope ladder, Joshua." Jeonghan says, before Josh's head disappears back into the house and the ladder comes flying out. Jeonghan climbs it with ease.

"Do you know how cold it is out there, Jeonghan?" Joshua says as Jeonghan's climbing over the desk, and he's pulling the ladder in. 

"Cold enough to make me not feel my toes despite me running in the snow?" Jeonghan asks, as Joshua clicks the window shut, and he kicks off his shoes by Joshua's door. 

Joshua sits in his desk chair. "Something like that." 

Jeonghan flops onto Joshua's bed, pulling the covers over his thin frame. _"Come here, Shua._ _Let me steal your body heat. Especially since you made me come over here."_

_ "Fine, Hannie." _ Joshua says, getting up from the desk chair and slipping into his bed, wrapping himself around Jeonghan. 

Joshua's mom finds them tangled together the next morning on her way out of the house. She makes sure to take a picture of the two on her way out and to send it to Jeonghan's mothers. 

**[8:03] Soojin Hong: (image attached)**

**[8:03] Soojin Hong:** **_In case you were wondering where your son is, he's at my house, in my son's bed._ **

**[8:07] Jiyoung Yoon:** **_They look so cute cuddled up next to each other. Thank you for letting me know where my boy is, Soojin!_ **

**[8:07] Soojin Hong:** **_No problem, Jiyoung!_ **

When Joshua and Jeonghan awake, it's almost lunch time. Joshua lends Jeonghan some clothes. 

"Do you want to go out for lunch?" Jeonghan asks. "I can drive." Jeonghan spins his car keys in his fingers. 

"Sure." Joshua accepts the offer. "McDonald's?" He asks. Jeonghan nods his head. They're out the door in fifteen minutes, and in Jeonghan's car shortly after. 

* * *

Joshua's mom goes into labour with his little brother in the new year, exactly according to the due date. 

"Joshua!" His stepdad calls. "Your mother and I are going to the hospital!" 

"Okay!" Joshua calls back. 

He texts Jeonghan first.

**[11:03] Joshua Hong: Mom and Jinho just went to the hospital, baby brother is incoming**

**[11:04] Jeonghan Yoon: Do you want me to come over**

**[11:04] Joshua Hong: Yes please**

Joshua and Jeonghan play video games until Joshua's step dad texts him to tell him that his baby brother, Mingyu, has been born. 

"Welcome to the new world, Joshua." Jeonghan smiles, messing up Joshua's hair. 

* * *

The year after Mingyu is born is sweet. Joshua enjoys having a little brother, and Jeonghan seems to love Mingyu as much as Joshua does. 

Jinho doesn't stick around as long as Joshua had hoped, leaving his mother for a younger woman just after Joshua's seventeenth birthday. Joshua was mad at Jinho, initially, but eventually learned that harbouring anger for a man that wasn't in their life anymore was pointless. 

Joshua's mother falls pregnant again in May, an unplanned pregnancy with a boyfriend she only had for a few months. Donghyun promises he'll stay. And Donghyun does. 

Jeonghan loves Chan as much as Joshua loves Jeonghan.

* * *

  
  


Jeonghan and Joshua are both eighteen now. 

Together, on a hot summer day, not even a week after their graduation, they're sitting up on the very same place they met. Their hands are sticky from some popsicles, plastic wrappings and sticks discarded in a paper cup from a fast food restaurant.

"Jeonghan," Joshua says, grabbing his hand. He links their sticky fingers together. "I love you. I want to love you for a million more moons." 

Jeonghan looks at him for a second, confused as to what he just said. 

_ "Jeonghan," _ Joshua says, name slipping off his tongue.  _ "I'm in love with you." _

_ "I'm in love with you too."  _ Jeonghan says back. 

_ "Since when?"  _ Joshua asks.

_ "I think since forever."  _

Jeonghan laces his other hand into Joshua's.

_ "We can stay together forever. I would like that very much."  _

Their noses bump together, until the two of them share their first kiss of many. 

_ "Forever."  _ They both breathe out after their kiss.  _ "With you forever, my heart may be."  _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> By the way, Happy SeokSol day!
> 
> edit: jeonghan mentions all of the kids in his family were sperm donor babies. this is a loose term, as sanha and soobin were technically the only children of donated sperm. sunyoung and jiyoung were both single mothers before they met, each with their own child. jeonghan is jiyoung's full biological son, whom she had when she was roughly 15 years old, which puts her at 30 years old in the fic. sunyoung had jaehwa when she was nineteen, while she and jiyoung were still friends. they raised their children together, and eventually got together and there began the little family they have now. so, jeonghan may not be biologically related to jaehwa but they still are siblings, especially since their parents are in a relationship with one another. 
> 
> also, to clarify, while mingyu and chan are close in age, a full year did pass between their conceptions and births. soojin fell pregnant a month after mingyu's first birthday, so they're about a year and ten months apart if im doing this math correctly. 
> 
> further edits to this fic may be made as i go along to help clear up any mistakes i may have made when writing, but also to make the timeline flow smoother. it was bound that making the changes to the timeline with jeonghan's family situation and the edit of jiyoung's family name from kang to yoon (absentee father, auto inherits mom's name) will help to make this easier on myself. 
> 
> thank you for reading (again!)


End file.
